The nature of community cohesion

How the concept of community cohesion has developed

The term 'community cohesion' has been around for centuries in the writings of political theorists. It is widely used to describe a state of harmony or tolerance between people from different backgrounds living within a community. It is linked to the concept of social capital and the idea that if we know our neighbours and contribute to community activity then we are more likely to look out for each other, increase cohesion and minimise the cost of dependency and institutional care. In recent years cohesion has become an important goal of public policy in response to disturbances in Bradford, Burnley and Oldham in 2001 and the emergence of extremist views on the far right of British politics and amongst radical Islamists. In these circumstances there has been an increased emphasis on how we create a sense of belonging and place, based on a more inclusive set of identities, contributing to Britishness, citizenship, mutual respect and trust. But the wider vision embracing the importance of social networks and community spirit remains as important as ever.  Several definitions have been offered by different observers, each featuring the core concepts of unity and respect for difference but with some variation of emphasis on how cohesion can be achieved.  In this section we set out the most important offerings and trace how the concept has evolved over the last few years.

An analysis of the concept of community cohesion by Dr Rosalyn Lynch of the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate is given in Appendix C of the 'Cantle report' (the report by the independent review team into the disturbances in several northern towns in 2001). Lynch examines earlier definitions and those factors that are likely to limit achievement of community cohesion (e.g. segregationist housing policy, "white flight" caused by the actions of some estate agents and segregation within schools). The same report (in Chapter 3) refers to work by Forest and Kearns which describes five domains of community cohesion:

• Common values and a civic culture - common aims and objectives, common moral principles and codes of behaviour, support for political institutions and participation in politics.
• Social order and social control - absence of general conflict and threats to the existing order, absence of incivility, effective informal social control, tolerance, respect for differences, inter-group co-operation.
• Social solidarity and reductions in wealth disparities - harmonious economic and social development and common standards, redistribution of public finances and of opportunities, equal access to services and welfare benefits, ready acknowledgement of social obligations and willingness to assist others.
• Social networks and social capital - high degree of social interaction within communities and families, civic engagement and associational activity, easy resolution of collective action problems.
• Place attachment and identity - strong attachment to place, inter-twining of personal and place identity.

A similar but more concise definition is given in the Home Office report 'Improving opportunity, strengthening society' (January 2005) which describes a cohesive and inclusive society as one in which:

• Young people from different communities grow up with a sense of common belonging
• New immigrants are integrated
• People have opportunities to develop a greater understanding of the range of cultures that contribute to our strength as a country
• People from all backgrounds have opportunities to participate in civic society
• Racism is unacceptable and extremists who promote hatred are marginalised

The concept is developed further in 'Our shared future', the report of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion chaired by Darra Singh (June 2007). The report sets out four key principles that the review team believe underpin an understanding of integration and cohesion: 

• A sense of shared futures - an emphasis on what binds communities together rather than what differences divide them and prioritising a shared future over divided legacies.
• A new model of rights and responsibilities fit for purpose in the 21st century, one that makes clear a sense of citizenship at national and local level, and the obligations that go along with membership of a community, both for individuals and groups.
• An ethics of hospitality - a new emphasis on mutual respect and civility that recognises that alongside the need to strengthen the social bonds within groups, the pace of change across the country reconfigures local communities rapidly, meaning that mutual respect is fundamental to issues of integration and cohesion
• A commitment to equality that sits alongside the need to deliver visible social justice, to prioritise transparency and fairness, and build trust in the institutions that arbitrate between groups  

The most recent definition is contained in the Government's response to the Commission on Integration and Cohesion (CLG, February 2008) as set out in the introduction to this guide:

The evolution of the concept through the works listed above shows that the core concept based on a common vision and respect for diversity has been retained but with an increasing emphasis on the importance of integration and shared citizenship. This has important implications for the way we develop our policies and approaches to community cohesion. iCoCo takes the view that tackling inequalities remains a key component of community cohesion and where any community or group is clearly disadvantaged it is far less likely to have any effective stake in society. Community cohesion plans therefore need to be able to say how they will address key areas of disadvantage.

For further information see About community cohesion: a guide to publications.